Love Lost In Time
by Sweetly-Sadistic's-Romanticide
Summary: Over a thousand years has passed since she was taken away from Hades. Hundreds of lifetimes of finding her to have her slip away. Persephone reborn only to be lost in time. Can Hades find his love and stop the cycle?
1. Chapter 1

The air felt almost moist here against the freezing Atlantic Ocean, clinging and chilled. The gulls that cried overhead accentuated the mournful sound of the waves and the wind blowing through the dead, sun-bleached grass that lingered on the sandy shore. He felt his heart ache a little at the sight of the overcast sky and the gray waters; ah, those gray waters that were of her eyes. He never had a chance to match the color of her eyes to something until he wandered here in the cold northern world of America. Easily, walking around a white tangle of driftwood, Hades thought again of white-limbed Persephone.

Staring down at the earth beneath his feet, the god frowned in sad contemplation. The sand was a cluster of tiny worlds in their own, the pebbles hardened nebulas of cells and atoms. The magnificent sciences they had developed entranced him as the mortals above discovered the universe about them. The dead brought stories of planets and stars seen by the human eye as giant, frothing spheres of light. They told of how they perfected the beauty in themselves through collagen and staples. How the race had progressed was astounding and yet they retained all the violent tendencies of children. The gods were no better, in fact being forgotten by the majority of the world made them worse.

Hades allowed a small sigh to escape through his nose as he stopped and looked about the empty beach. How long had he wandered this place? What was the name? Portsmouth, Rhode Island. It had been sixty years since he last found her in South America. She was here somewhere in these small towns, her light shining like a foggy, confused beacon. How many centuries had he played this game with his brother? How many continents had he searched over and over?

The sound of a vehicle pulling up stopped his wandering thoughts and drew his attention. The sandy shore cut off at a rock bluff to his left, no more than ten feet high where a parking lot for surfers and beach combers lay. A shining red Jeep idled there, the driver and passenger laughing at each other as they gathered their things. Did they even see him standing there on the sand, his dark hair moved by the salty, cool breeze? Probably, but it didn't look as though they cared. He envied their ability to see past the now and see what they want. All he could see, no matter where he went, was his beloved wife, lost to time and this endless game.

Hades turned away and went further down the beach, his mind sorting out the signals that fluttered in his mind. Each life has a light, a pulsing light that screamed their vitality and passion. Some were fainter than others, mostly those in middle age with few deep emotions were the soft and nondescript. As the millennia passed, he discovered that children and the elderly shine the brightest at the beginning and end of their lives. Highly populated cities and areas were blinding with every individuals light scalding him. But her light was different. It sang a song in variations of light pulses that drew him like a heart, crying out for him even if she didn't know it. That was always the hardest part; when he finally found her, finally sorted her out of the millions, she didn't know him.

Coming to the conclusion that he was getting no where on this pretty yet depressing beach, Hades glanced briefly over his shoulder at the couple before stepping into nothingness. Another step brought him into an urban lane, houses sleepily drowsily on either side. The foggy, gray light persisted here as well, smothering the unseen sun. Ruffling the plain black suit jacket, he looked about with tired, longing eyes, seeing only mortals and their secluded lives. It was a wonderful feeling to walk amongst them in their clothing and be known only as another human. Once before in Byzantine, he had revealed himself in the hopes it would draw his love. No, that had been such a horrible mistake.

A dog whimpered and whined as he walked by the fenced yard it was penned in, lying low on its lean belly and staring at him abandoned, sad eyes. A smile quirked his lips and he crouched down by the fence, placing one long fingered hand to the wire. Immediately it jumped up and began licking at his flesh, excited at the attention. Cerberus…he rather missed the beast and its glowing red eyes.

"Can I help you?" a man's voice called out from the door to the house. Hades wiggled his finger against the dog's maw before standing and looking to him. Old, widower and a drunkard. Imagine that.

"I was merely admiring your pet. He is a German Shepherd, isn't he?" Hades asked politely despite how his throat ached from not being in use. How long had it been since he had conversed with another, mortal or god alike? The man came down from the porch, his suspenders stretched over his generous belly. Wiping his nose on the back of his white-haired hand, he looked at the hidden god with bleary, red-rimmed eyes.

"It was the missus's before she went last year. What's your name, huh?" he replied, his rough voice growing a bit threatening. Hades smiled placidly at him, wanting nothing more than to wrap him up in a shadow for a few days and then test his temper.

"Call me David."

"David, eh? What do you want?"

Hades shrugged nonchalantly, growing bored with the exchange. Did nobody in this modern world have some form of intelligence? Why were all so annoyingly bland and egotistical?

"Like I said, just admiring the dog," he answered simply, turning to leave, hands in his pockets. The man gave him a narrowed eyed look at the other's placidity before harrumphing. The dog sat by the fence still, his large, furry ears flattening in sadness as he watched after the god. He turned back to the cracked sidewalk, trying to block out the sound of the old man grumbling at his pet.

"C'mon, inside, you dumb piece of shit," there was a pause before the sound of a blow reached his ears followed by a pained yelp. Hades stopped and glanced back to see the dog cowering in fear of the old man as he kicked swiftly at his hind again.

If there was one thing Hades could not stand was nonsensical violence. As the booted foot came down again, he forced it to miss the quivering animal and hit the iron-link fence, jerking the ankle spasmodically as if electrified. A startled curse escaped him as the old man's foot went through the very material of the wall and stopped with his leg halfway through. Hades let a satisfied laugh utter out as the man screamed and fell to his bottom, clutching his uninjured leg.

"Dear God in heaven, my leg! It's stuck in the fence! Help! Help!" he began wailing, gnarled hands grasping the junction of his leg and the fence. He wasn't hurt of course but it certainly did terrify him.

The German shepherd sat out of reach, his head cocked curiously to the side as it regarded its master. The intelligent, dark eyes turned to focus on Hades as he patted his thigh and forced the latch open on the gate with his ancient mind. Whimpering a small whine of gratitude, the dog swerved out of the man's frantic, frightened hands and approached the fence gate. Wiggling its nose through, it bounded to Hades' side.

"What you do? What the fuck did you do?" the abusive man's voice cried out as he realized his visitor still stood nearby. Walking back over to where he had petted the dog, crouching to prod the man's foot.

"How does your leg feel?" he asked congenially, tapping the tip of the boot.

"It's stuck in a fucking fence! How does it look I feel?" the man hollered, obviously a little upset at the situation. Hades smiled and shook his head.

"Now, now, take it easy. Perhaps next time you will learn not to hurt innocent beings," he admonished before standing again. The man's wide, reddened eyes stared at him in furious horror, his purple veins standing out is his anger.

"C'mon, now, dog. Let's go," Hades murmured to his new companion, patting the top of his head obligingly. After a block or so the man's yelling faded away as ambulances shrieked up the drive. No one glanced at him and the dog as they rounded the bend and disappeared into the main street of Portsmouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**This next chapter is for DarkFireAngel00. Thank you for being persistent and making me want to work on this again. ^_^**

**Over the loud bustle of New Englanders, the sound of car and bus gears ground and whined, causing a low rumble over the beat of the populaces' steps. The sky above the new and old skyscrapers was as clear and cold as northern ice, seeming infinitely high up as it reflected in the endless windows. Flocks of pigeons rose and fell like waves over the cracked concrete for scraps of food, carpeting the statues around the bus station in Providence.**

**Hades paused in the center of the commotion, one long fingered hand resting on his companions head as attempted to sort out the cacophony of sound and light around him. Dozens of unaware mortals rushed past onto the rusted mammoths of wire and iron, mouths running as fast as their feet did. After a few moments of being blinded by the multitude, the god finally retreated towards a side alley. He would have thought that after centuries of being among the hundreds it would become easier, but no. **

**Calmly, if not briskly, Hades walked into the wide, wet alley between a monumental bank and a Dunkin Donuts. Away from the head-splitting gathering of throbbing lights and noise, he leaned against the moist brick wall and sank to a crouch. The dog faithfully sat in front of him and whined in his throat. That drew a chuckle from him.**

"**Come here," he murmured as he extended a hand for his companion. Immediately the large mammal leaned and put his forehead under it for affection, his dark eyes watching the god in worry. Hades smiled mildly; it was still amazing to him that they could sense moods so easily. "Do not sound so upset."**

**The dogs ears perked and he jerked his head away from the god's touch. Intently, he stared down the alley towards the bus station, still and watchful. Puzzled, Hades looked towards the mouth of the street to see an elderly woman hobbling across the sidewalk. Her wrinkled skin was the color of coffee beans, rich and smooth seeming despite her age. A neat bun of stark white hair rested at the base of her thin neck, contrasting sharply, wonderfully. **

**For a moment, Hades stared at the oblivious woman with a rapid heart. It wasn't her neat slipper-shod feet or her old fog coat that hung to her shaky knees. Nor was it the weathered cane that held her weight as she shuffled with as much dignity to the bank. Her light…her pulsating, brilliant light…it was Persephone.**

**Immediately the god stood, startling the poor canine, and took a single step towards her.**

"**Uncle."**

**The soft, if not humored voice, startled him momentarily though he did not show it. Pausing, the elder god glanced across the alley to spot a man standing there nonchalantly, one foot tucked behind the other ankle. A mop of curling gold-red hair fell messily over his brow and around his ears as he studied the other with a curious but respectful air. The Romanesque nose and strong jaw line was nearly identical to Hades own but that smirking grin upon his lips was truly his father's.**

**The German shepherd growled lowly in his throat and moved to sit down next to his side, ears flat and a discontent grimace on his furry muzzle. **

"**Hermes," Hades greeted lightly if not irritably. His nephew grinned slightly and moved to stand before him, eyeing the dog curiously to its displeasure. "You look ridiculous."**

**The other frowned in mock hurt before looking over his attire. The sagging jeans, held up with a studded leather belt, and the loose Bob Marley shirt clashed with the large, fake diamond money sign about his neck. Hermes held his hands up defensively with a small hurt pout.**

"**Just blending in, Uncle. How're you?" the younger god asked politely. Hades snorted at that, not bothering to hide his disbelief. It was common knowledge that most relatives didn't visit him for niceties and that he wasn't one for games. **

"**What do you want, Hermes?"**

**His nephew gave him a measuring stare before replying wisely.**

"**Zeus wishes to know how much longer you intend on playing this game. He grows tired of the slack in the underworld."**

**The god of the dead gave a silent glare before replying sharply.**

"**It amuses me that he is the one proclaiming weariness of this torment he has placed upon my wife, placed upon his own daughter," he almost growled at him. Hermes held his dark stare for a moment or two before Hades deigned to continue. "As long as she is not at my side, I will search, no matter how many millennia's pass."**

"**Father wishes to remind you as well of your post and duties in the Underworld," Hermes added quickly, his chin firming at his uncle's immediate anger. For a few moments, Hades was sure that he was going to lose his temper and hurt his relative for Zeus's words. **

"**Remind him in return for me of all the things he's been forgiven for, for all the crimes he's committed. And tell him that it is not too late to return her and earn my forgiveness."**

**Hermes contemplated his uncle shrewdly, his golden skinned arms crossed over his slim chest. His sea blue eyes softened finally and he sighed a smile before approaching a bit closer. The dog whined fretfully and growled but remained still at his side. The younger god laid a sympathizing hand on his uncle's broad shoulder.**

"**I wish you luck, Uncle. I pray this whole thing ends well for all," Hermes said earnestly. Hades stared at him silently before nodding and giving the barest of smiles. The younger man nodded towards the bank as he removed his touch. "She's still in there. Go get her."**

**With that the god put his hands in his sagging pockets and turned to leave. Briskly, Hades walked to the opening of the alley, his new pet following warily at his heels.**

"**Oh, and Uncle?" Hermes voice made him pause once more. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted a teasing grin on the other's golden face. "You should try another style. You look like a mortician."**

**Hades let a smirk hit him before replying.**

"**Isn't that the point?" **


	3. Chapter 3

The inside of the monumental bank was as chilled and echoing as an abandoned temple. Tired, quiet clicking of computer boards barely pierced the silence and the murmured voices barely warmed to a human level. Hades couldn't say that he enjoyed it there despite the high, buttressed ceilings and the polished marble flooring. Such excess and waste. The actual offices of the bank took up only a quarter of the immense place.

The god sighed a breath of ancient relief as he spotted his disguised wife sitting in the lobby for a banker, tiny feet together under her chair. A sense of almost vertigo stole over him as he walked towards her, realizing how close she was and yet how far. His business shoes made no sound upon the marble as he approached and she paid him no mind. Her attention was devoted to a thin book in her lap. Brilliant, dark eyes raced over the lines from behind her half glasses and her wrinkled, smiling mouth mouthed the words. Face at the Bottom of the World by Hagiwara Sakutaro.

Silently, despite the hurting throb of his heart and the ache to merely touch her, Hades walked past her nonchalantly and sat on a settee nearby. The old woman did not even glance up as he passed and it hurt him as it did every time.

Last time he had found her in the flesh, she had been a small six year old girl in the dirty Rio de Janeiro backstreets. Music had reverberated through the crowded streets and fireworks flashed sporadically in the festive night. Women in exotic dresses danced through the streets for the Festival under the gaze of the Jesus monument and alcohol had stained the warm breeze.

Persephone now looked like an older version of that now dead child, the nut brown skin and the near pitch black eyes. From where he sat, Hades watched her enjoy her poetry and shuddered at their last meeting.

The god had found her by accident, playing with what might have been her mortal siblings in the dirt on the night of Festival. For a long time, he marveled at the way his oblivious wife shone through the grime of her current poverty. It was her smile, to be sure, that bright, ecstatic smile of innocent mirth upon a child's features. It quickly became apparent that he could not approach her at this tender age with who he was. But he had eternity; he could wait now that he had found her.

But Persephone did not have forever in that form. That same moist, hot night that he had found her, he had lost her as well. He had made the mistake of letting her be for the night and wandering the maze of streets. The next morning, Hades came to her mortal family's apartment to find that the entire complex had been set ablaze by drunken revelers in the dark hours of the night.

All were killed in the fire.

"Young man," a voice pierced his memory like glass and Hades jumped slightly. Returning to reality, he found her regarding him curiously over her glasses, the book closed in her narrow lap. Heart pounding, the god licked his dry lips and stifled the hidden joy in his soul.

"Ma'am?" he replied quietly, painfully aware that he was speaking once more to his lost wife. She gave him a motherly and shrewd look before taking off her reading glasses. She had such poise in this form, he mused. So old seeming and yet so vibrant.

"You getting sick?" she asked, her dark eyes scrutinizing his thin black jacket and bared hands. "It's too cold to not wear something warmer, honey."

Her voice had that slow, southern ring to it and he found it more pleasant and efficient against the cold than any warm coat or hot drink. It was a practiced and polite yet full voice, like liquid sugar and bourbon.

"Perhaps I am growing sick," was the only reply he could formulate now. His very soul and heart felt sick with warring happiness and misery, as if his insides were swelling within him and forcing every breath of air out. He wished to touch her so badly, if only to reassure himself that she was indeed there.

Persephone made a noise of disbelieving wonderment and reached down to her side slowly. Hades could practically hear her bones and joints creak and pop under her molten coffee skin. She was so very old in this form; every smile wrinkle about her small mouth and the crows feet about her eyes confirmed it.

From out of her large, weathered purse she withdrew a pair of black cotton gloves and offered them to him. Stunned at her random act of kindness, Hades accepted them with shaking fingers. His cold skin brushed her soft, sagging skin for a brief second and he felt a rush of familiarity. It was her, under the age and the gnawing cancer in her lungs and chest, it was her.

"These'll help with the cold, honey. Don't lose them now," she stated in her brave, quivering voice. She offered a motherly smile to him and reached over enough to pat his knee. "And take better care."

"I will, ma'am," Hades promised with a shallow tone. At that moment, a middle aged man in a business suit and a name tag came out from his glass walled office to signal that he was ready for her. A parody of generic fluff, the man seemed to be next to the radiating goddess trapped in a mortal frame.

"Alright. You have a good day," the elderly woman sighed as she grasped her purse and book. Unsteadily, she stood with her canes support, her dark, old hands clasping it weakly. Hades could hear the pain in her. She breathed a raspy exhalation as she moved towards the uncaring banker. The cancer was hurting her so badly that the god was sure he had barely caught her in time yet again.

Abruptly, he stood and approached the old woman. Dark, curious eyes stared up at him in wary bemusement as she paused. Silently, he offered her a smile and an arm to help her to the banker. After a moment, the old woman accepted the crook of his elbow and leaned her slight, weary weight upon it.

"Thank you, sugar. Mighty kind of you," she murmured through the pain in her thin chest. Hades swallowed a cry of despair in his own at her agony and nodded.

"My pleasure, ma'am. May I ask your name?" he asked politely as he slowly guided her to the impatient employee and his fish tank office. The old woman chuckled, her neat, white hair barely at level with his ribcage considering how small and crippled with age she was.

"Virginia, Virginia Mathers," she finally responded as she released her hold on his arm. Turning and looking up, she raised her black, depthless eyes in contemplation of the younger seeming man. That's when he saw it; he saw that she felt familiarity with him, even if she herself did not understand it. It puzzled her and comforted her in some way so that she did not bother to question it. "And yours?"

"David, my name is David."

"Well, thank you very much, David. You be sure to wear those gloves I gave you, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, the goddess in the aged form turned and left with the nondescript banker, leaving behind the smell of medicine and Chanel perfume. For a moment, Hades watched her speak to the man once she had settled in his office, back to him, and clutched the cotton gloves tightly. He had found her; for how long, he now wondered with queasy fear.


	4. Chapter 4

Whoot! I'm on a roll with this one right now. Don't get mad at the end of the chapter, 'kay? Oh, and thank you for the nice reviews. I got so many and life is good. ^_^

Despite the biting freeze of the moist autumn night, Hades stood outside the lighted window for many hours, looking in and reveling. The wind blew with a fury, disheveling his hair and whipping the dark coat he wore about, yet it could not move the statue of a man. At his side lay the curled, sleeping form of his companion. Small shivers quaked through the animal once in a while, making him wish that he had found a mortal caregiver for him. He was a good dog, after all.

On the other side of the shaking pane light spilled upon an old, cherished rug where a pair of tiny, thin feet tapped in rhythm to a silent song. Persephone sat in a low, comfortable chair, her spine curved to its shape for support. Hades praised the way the yellow lamp reflected off her rich, weathered skin and how her loose shock of hair gleamed like snow. Her evening robe with its ridiculous Caribbean pattern and matching slippers made no difference to his view, neither did the stout glass of sherry at her side. It was his wife and that was all that mattered.

She lived in a run down townhouse near Smithfield, where the sounds of the roads faded and the cracked tiling fell only once in a while. And yet she was content, he could see and it warmed him. Upon the coffee table and the mantle were rows of photographs. They gleamed like prized possessions from some secret trove, holding memories of children and grandchildren. There were pictures of her at a young age married to a man with a complexion of velvet midnight. It was a full life that she had led and it made Hades glad.

It had been at least an hour since she had settled in with an episode of I Love Lucy and as the clock in her home struck ten she finally stood. After struggling to her weak feet, the old woman rested a hand to her bent back and grimaced as she turned off the old television. Straightening up as much as possible, she sighed and glanced about.

Hades' heart pounded in his chest with the fury of Hephaestus when her dark gaze turned to the very window he stood at and paused. No alarm spread over her wrinkled visage; only a calm, pondering expression rested there. Briskly, Persephone went to her front door. Much like a phantom, Hades faded into the dark around her home, melding in with the shadows that held so much of himself in them.

Several chains and locks clicked before the woman opened her door bravely to the cold. In the dark under her window, the German shepherd awoke and snuck away, wary of her. It was unnecessary terror but how could the poor thing know? For several moments, she stared into the dark, lips pressed in thought and her brow creased.

Hades longed to reach out and touch the locks of white hair that hung around her crinkled, honey face and kiss the soft skin there. He was so close, hidden in the shadows, so close to the tiny frame that housed her.

"Alright now, honey, I know you are out here. C'mon now," Persephone's thin, almost exasperated voice rang out. Hades felt his eyes widen at her courageousness. What if it hadn't have been him? How had she survived so long with that audacity? "David."

Bracing himself, the god stepped into view slowly before he could contemplate his decision. The old woman couldn't hide the surprise in her gaze at his appearance but she smiled all the same.

"I was wondering how long you were going to hide in the cold, sugar," she stated as she shivered. The cold was harsh on her arthritis riddled bones; he could hear them creak. A strange smirk quirked her visage as she continued. "Is David even your name?"

"No, Virginia, it isn't," Hades admitted softly, still in a mild state of shock that they were speaking after he had stalked her to her home. Briefly, she looked him over in the dark, noting that he now wore her gloves before nodding.

"Figured so. C'mon inside and bring your dog now," she ordered good-humouredly as she turned and shuffled inside. Once again, she surprised him severely. The mammal was well hidden in the shrubs and how she knew of his presence baffled him. Shrugging off the mystery of his reborn wife, the ancient being patted his thigh for his companion and headed to the warmth.

Emerging from the bushes, the elegant shepherd followed faithfully with ears perked at the scents from within. The old woman waited patiently as they entered her entryway, clever, amused eyes watching.

"What a dog. He's a handsome one," she commented as she shut the door and locked it securely. Shaking her head in motherly bemusement at him, Persephone led the way into her living room and indicated a rocking chair next to hers. She settled in it again before noticing that he still stood awkwardly in the doorway. The dog held no compunctions and immediately took to investigating her home, nails clicking on the old wooden floors.

"Sit, please," the old woman requested congenially, patting the seat next to her. Feeling more out of place than ever in over a millennia, Hades sat down on the edge and continued his barely disguised amazement of her. Resting back, she folded her hands on her lap, a mass of wrinkles and life on her bony thighs. For a moment, she studied his plain button up shirt and the weathered, black coat. Memorized the way his dark hair lay messily like stubborn wings upon his brow. Finally, she spoke. "May I inquire as to why you were outside my window there, dear?"

Now that the moment had come, he found that the truth stuck in his throat. What right did he have to come in now that she had lived a full life and reveal his name? She had loved another in this life, had children and experienced the joy and pain of a mortal. Telling her the truth would take that away in a sense; it would detach her from the life she knew. No, he couldn't do that now. Perhaps if she was younger and not entrenched in so much living history he would have no compunction but it was wrong now.

"I wanted to see you one more time," he finally replied through the tight knot in his throat. The sound of his agonized sadness in his voice created a look of concern in her eyes despite how he attempted to hide it. It faded like the summer to a calm, withdrawn frown, as if she had realized something tremendous and final in his statement.

The ancient god looked upon her and tried to remember the way she had been born. She had pale skin like fresh milk and vibrant hair that put the richest acorns to shame. And her eyes…her eyes that had captivated him with their promise of wisdom and youth in one mind. It seemed so very faint now; now, after dozens of lives and deaths, her original frame was fading. But her soul shone here in this world of pictures and warmth as it did in the Underworld, fierce and strong.

"Who are you?" the question cut through his musings and brought him back to reality. There were tears in his eyes, he realized, blurring the world. They faded back again and he found that there was a secret, tired smile upon him.

"I cannot tell you, Virginia. But I've known you for a long time," he replied gently, his voice gravelly with the emotion he restrained. Persephone pressed her thin lips in thought and her brows knitted slightly. Breathing a sigh through her nose, she seemed to deflate a bit. The breath in her chest caught and hitched in pain and she cleared her throat.

"I had the feeling that was it," she admitted bluntly and paused. For once, a look of indecision came over her and she coughed at the tightness in her. "I thought you was an angel when I saw you, sitting there. Come to deliver me from this to the Lord."

It had happened often in her rebirth that she had been raised some sort of Christian. Now, it barely bothered Hades that she had faith in a new god instead of in her own divinity. It brought her comfort as a mortal and that was all that mattered to him. Never had she called him an angel though.

For a long period of silence, the master of the dead contemplated the best response to her. She granted him peace as he thought, waiting for a confirmation of what she hoped for. She was tired, he could feel it, she was exhausted in her old tendons and in her contented soul. Life had been tough but good to her and now in the winter of her life, she was ready.

All this he could feel from her throbbing light of a soul and found that he couldn't bear her suffering. She would be reborn once more. The essence of his wife would find new form in a new time and he would follow her through the centuries, back and forth within them, to grasp and share the few mortal years she had with her. This life she lived now had been full and it was time for it to end and for the pain to stop.

"Perhaps I am."

Persephone smiled briefly at that and nodded. Lowering her gaze to her creaking, thin fingers, she ran a nail over the plain gold wedding band there and sighed.

"Good, I was wondering when you were coming," she replied in what might have been a wistful joke. Hades' heart hurt at her lightness and found that the pain he felt rang right for once. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and took off the warm gloves.

"Virginia, tell me: did you love well in this life?" he asked lowly, trying his hardest to keep his voice from cracking. She didn't respond immediately and he couldn't look up to her. Folding his hands together, the god studied the light play upon them for a sense of stability. The dog wandered in from the kitchen, panting happily, and settled upon the rug by her chair.

"Yes, sir, I did and I was well loved. My husband, Reggie, he passed only five years ago and he loved me very well," the old woman replied with a remembering grin. "So do my children."

Hades nodded slightly, fighting the urge to run from this duty he had to his wife. Silently, she was asking him for release and he would not refuse her.

Finally, the man sat up a bit and looked her in the eyes. The portal of the soul, he mused, for that was what they were. And Persephone could never contain the vibrant spirit within her, no matter her form.

Standing shakily, Hades attempted to hide the sickness within him at what he was about to do. Firming his chin as much as he could with his trembling, he held out one long pale hand to her. The woman stared at it a bit fearfully before traveling her clear gaze to his. There was a small, secret smile tucked away in the wrinkles about her mouth and somehow, it made her so much lovelier.

"Are you ready?" Hades inquired softly, a quiver in his tone. She nodded and accepted his hand. As she stood, he marveled over the fragile strength in her coffee fingers and the opulent pearl of her nails. She was warm, so very warm.

A look of panicky fear flitted over her and she tightened her hold. Peering up at him, her lower lip trembled slightly.

"Will it hurt?"

"No. I would never hurt you," her soul's husband replied ardently despite himself. She gave a breath of gratitude and relief and smiled in tired happiness.

"Thank you. I'm ready now, angel," she stated with no trace of terror in her words. Hades felt his immortal heart pound and the innate power within swell for the task required. Gently he pulled her closer to him, his free arm coming about her frail, slumped shoulders in a tender embrace. Persephone did not fight him; rather, she melted to his cool strength and relinquished her hold on this life.

It was gentle, the death that stole into her and took her from the agony of cancer and the slow torment of age. Hades trembled horribly as the frame he held slumped lifelessly against him, supported by his arms.

Soon now, her soul would travel to the underworld and drink the Lethe water. And once those drops fell down her throat like the cold tears upon his cheek, she would forget. Forget that she was ever alive, forget she met him and be forced back into another form in another time. That was the unending game they played. That was the curse Zeus laid upon her.

Pressing the side of his face to her soft, moon-white hair, the god clutched the empty vessel close and ran his fingers over her fragile back. A keening whine from the dog brought him back. Opening the tormented blue of his eyes to reality, Hades swallowed hard and leaned back enough to place a tender kiss on her cooling forehead. The pain was over for now and that was all he could do.


End file.
